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City news in 250 words: Tuesday 16 March

Crim up north, kidnapped boy found and Ryder at FAC 251

Published on March 16th 2010.

KIDNAPPED BOY FOUND: The five-year-old Oldham boy, who was kidnapped in Pakistan has been found safe and well, the British High Commissioner has said. Sahil Saeed had been snatched from his grandmother's house in Jhelum by armed robbers on 3 March.

A SWEET MANUFACTURER is being urged by a coroner to put bigger safety warnings on its packaging after a toddler choked to death. Two-year-old Francis Dean was given the Swizzels Matlow lolly as a treat, at the family home in Beswick. He was killed when it became lodged in his throat despite frantic attempts to save him. The lolly came from an assortment bag which carried the warning: ‘Lollipops are a potential choking hazard. Not suitable for children under 36 months.’ But both the family and the coroner believe the warning needs to be made clearer.

GREATER MANCHESTER IS HOME TO 1,500 of Britain's most hardened criminals, according to research compiled by the Conservatives. London and Manchester account for almost ten per cent of the total 15,000 of the country’s so-called 'prolific and priority offenders'. The figure for Manchester compares with 1,408 in the capital, 986 in the West Midlands.

SHAUN RYDER is expected to debut new material alongside tracks by Black Grape and Happy Mondays at a one-off solo gig at FAC 251 this Easter. Ryder will play on Bank Holiday Sunday 4 April, backed by a new live band. Tickets for the gig go on sale at noon on Friday 19 March. See www.factorymanchester.com for more information.

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